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Flash (Queen song)
Flash§Songs}} Song Info|last=Rivadavia|first=Eduardo|website=AllMusic|language=en-us|access-date=December 28, 2018}} | length = 2:48 (single version) 3:29 (album version) | label = EMI, Elektra | writer = Brian May | producer = Brian May, Reinhold Mack | prev_title = Need Your Loving Tonight | prev_year = 1980 | next_title = Under Pressure | next_year = 1981 | misc = }} }} "Flash" is a song by the British rock band Queen. Written by guitarist Brian May, "Flash" is the theme song of the 1980 film Flash Gordon. There are two versions of the song. The album version ("Flash's Theme") is in fact the start to the movie, with all the dialogue from the first scene. The single version contains dialogue cut from various parts of the movie, most memorably, Brian Blessed's character exclaiming "Gordon's alive?!" This version was also included on the Greatest Hits compilation from 1981."Queen: Greatest Hits". Allmusic. Retrieved 12 May 2012 Flash is sung as a duet between Freddie Mercury and Brian May, with Roger Taylor adding the high harmonies. May plays all of the instruments except for the rhythm section. He used an Imperial Bösendorfer Grand Piano (with 97 keys instead of 88, having an extra octave on the low range), Oberheim OBX synth (which he plays in the video) and his homemade Red Special electric guitar. On the U.S. charts, "Flash's Theme aka Flash" reached #42 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It peaked at #39 on the ''Cash Box'' Top 100. It fared much better in Europe, where it was a Top 10 hit in most nations, including #1 in Austria. Music video The video for the song was filmed at Anvil Studios, London, in November 1980 and directed by Don Norman and shows the band performing the song to a screen showing clips from the film. An alternate version broadcast during the Concert for Kampuchea in 1981 with different clips included on the Flash Gordon 2011 iTunes edition. Personnel *Freddie Mercury - lead and backing vocals *Brian May - lead and backing vocals, electric guitar, piano, synthesiser *Roger Taylor - backing vocals, drums, timpani *John Deacon - bass guitar Charts Sales and certifications Vanguard remix *In 2002, German producers Vanguard released a single in collaboration with Queen, The Official Club Mixes. The single peaked at #15 on the UK Singles Charts at that time.Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums. London: Guinness World Records Limited Live recording *''Queen on Fire - Live at the Bowl'' *''Queen Rock Montreal'' In other media * The song is played in The Flash episode "Into the Void" where Cisco Ramon plays it when Barry Allen / The Flash enters a black hole to save Chester P. Runk, mentioning that he has been saving the song "for the right moment". References External links * * Lyrics at Queen official website (original version, reprise, single version) Category:Queen (band) songs Category:1980 singles Category:1981 singles Category:Flash Gordon Category:Vocal duets Category:Songs written for films Category:Songs about comics Category:Songs about fictional male characters Category:Outer space themed songs Category:Songs written by Brian May Category:Song recordings produced by Reinhold Mack Category:EMI Records singles Category:Elektra Records singles Category:Hollywood Records singles Category:1980 songs Category:Music based on science fiction works